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Alternative medication warnings
In general, be VERY skeptical of claims that herbal or alternative therapies can replace insulin treatment in cats or dogs. In dogs Diabetic dogs, in particular, tend to be Type-1 diabetics and must have insulin: * Alternatives warning for dogs *"Alternative Treatment #1" *"Alternative Treatment #4" *BD Diabetes--Canine Diabetes :Direct Quote from the BD website: :"NOTE: There is no diet or vitamin supplement that can reduce your dog's dependence on insulin injections. This is because vitamins and minerals cannot do what insulin does in the dog's body. If you believe that your dog needs a vitamin or mineral supplement, discuss it with your veterinarian first to make sure that the supplement does not interfere with the action of the dog's other medications. You will still need to give your dog insulin injections twice a day." *BD Diabetes-Ask Dr. Greco :From BD's Ask Dr. Greco Page--FAQ About Canine Diabetes: :"Q: Are there alternatives to insulin injections? :A: Not yet, but researchers are working on new therapies. :Q: Are there any vitamin or mineral supplements that will reduce my dog's dependence on insulin? :A: No. Dogs generally have type 1 diabetes. Their pancreas produces no insulin at all, so they need insulin injections in order to survive. Vitamins and minerals cannot replace the action of insulin. If you give your dog vitamin supplements, you still need to give it insulin injections." There is no medically recognized treatment for canine diabetes mellitus other than insulin injections. Type-1 diabetes, which is the form it takes in the majority of dogs, is the same as Type-1 diabetes in humans. Type-1 diabetics of all species must replace the insulin their bodies no longer produceType-1Diabetes-American Diabetes Association. This can only be done with insulin shotsAmerican Diabetes Association-Type-1 Diabetes Treatments. Oral medications are designed to stimulate the pancreas into producing more insulin. This is successful with some Type-2 humans with diabetes because their pancreases produce some, but not enough insulin for their body's needs, or their bodies are unable to properly use the insulin they produceType-2 Diabetes-American Diabetes AssociationAmerican Diabetes Association-Type-2 Diabetes Treatments. Diabetics with Type-1 diabetes have beta cell disfunction; this means they cannot produce insulin in response to any medicines because their pancreas is no longer able to do so. Regardless of what's said or promised, the only way Type-1 diabetics can produce their own insulin again is through pancreas or cell transplants, giving them new beta cells to do so with. While legitimate diet changes and supplimental medications can be of help in controlling diabetes, none of them can be the total answer in Type-1 diabetes. The only recognized oral medications for control of diabetes are prescription drugs, approved in the US by FDA, in Canada by HealthCanada, in the EU by EMEA, and by other legitimate medication regulatory bodies throughout the world. None of these medications have been recognized as being able to control Type-1 diabetes, but are for some cases of Type-2. The only recognized continuing medical treatment for diabetes mellitus Type-1 is one of the many forms of insulin therapy-for anyone suffering from it. The amount of money and resources of pharmaceutical companies would not be directed at finding alternate, non-injectable insulin delivery methods such as Exubera (inhaled insulin) if insulin was outmoded. In cats Also note that although Type-2 diabetic cats sometimes can go into remission from diet and a short course of insulin, this is not accomplished in general by herbal medications, and seldom by oral medication alone. Foods and herbal medications, even those that work well in humans, may be ineffective or even poisonous in cats: * Essential oils warning for cats *"Alternative Treatment" #3-Aimed at Feline Diabetes The link above is the same one from the Let's Compare section. There you can see exactly what this "treatment" turns out to be and that its vendor was the subject of an FDA warning letter for his dealings with a seemingly similar product aimed at people with diabetes. Think about it Hucksters and charlatans like these have told their lies and made their claims long before modern treatment for pet diabetes. They did so to the human sufferers of diabetes, Type-1 and Type-2; those who believed them were fortunate if they escaped with at least part of their health intact--some were not so lucky. The smoke and mirrors are still going on for persons with diabetes. These are large and active Google newsgroups for persons with diabetes: *Google Groups Misc. Health:Diabetes *Google Groups Alt. Support:Diabetes Take a few minutes to read the threads and see for yourself how many scams are posted there. And be sure to read the many, many responses of the various members to these posters--that this is not true, these are scams, and the poster should get lost. Lurk for a while if you doubt it. Then post and ask long-time newsgroup members how many scams they've seen on the newsgroup. I guarantee you will have plenty of responses. The scam and sham artists don't care one bit about you, about your pet, or about anyone who has diabetes--they only care about your money and how they can relieve you of it. They are in the "pet diabetes business" only because it appears profitable, just as they were and continue to be in the "human diabetes business". Your intelligence should tell you there's a reason why what they're selling isn't approved by any legitimate medical regulation agency in this world--because it doesn't work and may also harm you or your pet. Major pharmaceutical companies who produce insulins and oral diabetes medications would be happy to acquire rights or licenses to these products and sell them--at the same price or more than their current products. Because if they really did what their promoters say they do, they would be considered what pharmaceutical firms call "blockbuster" drugs/treatments, which would mean huge profits to them. Even with the staggering costs of having a new drug FDA-approved, something genuine of this nature would be very profitable. And because this is true--if the substance truly and safely met all claims, why is it being sold on hole-in-the-wall websites? Why not on websites like these examples: *Levemir-US *Apidra-US *Vetsulin If what the scamsters are pitching worked, they'd have enough money to have websites like Levemir, Apidra and Vetsulin. Here are some examples: *"Alternative Treatment" #1 "Money-back" guarantee--none regarding the possible health damage. The "satisfied customers" are apparently not satisfied enough that one can contact them for their first-hand accounts regarding the product. There is a reference to a "clinical test" from an "independent lab" with absolutely no names mentioned or links to details of it. The company is based in Michigan, and a search of the Michigan State Professional Licensing Boardfor the person mentioned in the website's "About Us" page reveals he is a human chiropractor-not a veterinarian or human endocrinologist. The upper left hand portion of every page on this website says "Natural Medicine from Real Veterinarians". *"Alternative Treatment" #2 This is aimed at people with diabetes. The page states that the name of the product being pitched had to be changed because of US-FDA; its original name implied that it could help diabetics. FDA apparently saw no proof in that statement, thus the company was forced to either change the product's name or stop marketing it. (They chose to simply change the name and continue to market a product which does nothing for diabetes, whatever they may call it. If people will be naive enough to believe it might work and buy it, they will keep on selling it....until the next FDA warning letter.) The links for both product names pass you along here, where the same 50 points off blood glucose levels or your money back is made as in "Alternative Treatment #1". Let's Compare Same story, possibly same stuff--just geared to different "markets". "Alternative Treatment #1" vs "Alternative Treatment #2" "Alternative Treatment #1" *"Alternative Treatment #1"-Pitch Page *"Help drop your pet's blood sugar levels. Guaranteed or it's free." *"More proof in XXXXXXX's ingredients." *"Iron-clad guarantee:" *"We guarantee that XXXXXXX will work or we'll reverse your payment like it never happened." *"Your pet's health is priceless." *"Compared to everything you stand to lose if you don't make a change right now, $$$$ is just a drop in the bucket. What else can you do for $$$$ that will so greatly affect the quality of your pet's life and the family that loves your pet?" *"Q: How soon after starting on XXXXXXX can I expect to see results? *A: Your pet will experience a noticeable blood glucose level drop within two weeks of starting on XXXXXXX. At the end of 30 days, the drop will be significant." *Q: My pet doesn’t need to drop 50 points. Will XXXXXXX take my pet too low? *A: XXXXXXXX's primary action is to naturally and gently heal your pet, which takes time. It does NOT artificially and instantly force blood sugar levels way lower like drugs or insulin. As your pet approaches normal levels, you will see blood sugar levels taper off. Your pet will not drop 50 points if they do not need it. Clinical tests have shown that pets with normal blood glucose levels do not experience a drop. *Q: Will XXXXXXX force my pet to produce too much insulin? *A: Again, XXXXXXX’s primary action is to naturally and gently heal your pet. As your pet heals, its body will regulate its own correct insulin production, as it should. It does NOT artificially and instantly force you to produce more insulin, like some drugs. "Alternative Treatment #2" *"Alternative Treatment #2"-Pitch Page *"50 points in 30 days or it's free." *"More proof is in the ingredients." *"Our promise to you:" *"We guarantee you'll be absolutely thrilled or we'll reverse your payment like it never happened." *"Your health is priceless." *"Compared to everything you stand to lose if you don't make a change right now, $$$$ is just a drop in the bucket. What else can you do for $$$$ that will so greatly affect the quality of your life, your career, your family, and your home?" *"Q: How soon after starting on YYYYYYY can I expect to see results? *A: You will experience a noticeable blood glucose level drop within two weeks of starting on YYYYYYY. At the end of 30 days, the drop will be significant." *Q: I don’t need to drop 50 points. Will YYYYYYY take me too low? *A: YYYYYYY's primary action is to naturally and gently heal you, which takes time. It does NOT artificially and instantly force your blood sugar levels way lower like drugs or insulin. As you approach normal levels, you will see your blood sugar levels taper off. You will not drop 50 points if you do not need it. Clinical trials have shown that individuals with normal blood glucose levels do not experience a drop. *Q: Will YYYYYYY force me to produce too much insulin? *A: Again, YYYYYYY’s primary action is to naturally and gently heal you. As you heal, your body will regulate its own correct insulin production, as it should. It does NOT artificially and instantly force you to produce more insulin like some drugs. "Alternative Treatment #3" vs FDA Warning Letter-9/27/05 "Alternative Treatment #3" *"Alternative Treatment" #3 This one is primarily aimed at cats with diabetes. Here the "Clinical Trials" page is full of links, all of them sourced through the product website and all dealing with various possibilities for human, not feline diabetes. There are many "studies" which purport to show why this product works, but not one of them deals directly with diabetes in cats--yet you are expected to believe what's said here and hurry to order. Note here that everyone's willing to tell you where to send your check if you choose not to use your credit card. So now we have a company name & address. Doing a Google Search on the company name and state it does business in turns up this most interesting reference from US-FDA: *FDA Warning Letter September 27, 2005 The same person's name shown on the FDA warning letter above is prominently displayed on "Alternative Treatment #3's" website: *"Alternative Remedy #3--Same Person's Name as on FDA Warning Letter Note that this is for claims regarding products sold to humans, claiming to treat diabetes and neuropathy. Note that the name of the products FDA sent the person the warning letter regarding and the name of the product on "Alternative Treatment #3's" website are VERY similar. FDA includes a summary of the claims made on the website--sound familiar? *"Alternative Treatment #3" website *"Studies show a 31.9% drop in blood sugar levels." *"Lower Blood Glucose Levels" *"Less Dependency on Medications" *"Feline diabetes is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it simply gets worse." *"Unfortunately, medications only treat the symptoms and usually do nothing to address the underlying causes. The good news is that cutting-edge science and nutrition have come together to create a truly monumental and natural breakthrough for cats with diabetes!" FDA Warning Letter-September 27, 2005 *FDA Warning Letter-Page 1 *"an average drop of blood glucose levels of 31.9%" *"Lower Blood Glucose Levels" *"Less Dependency on Medications" *"Diabetes is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it simply gets worse." *"Unfortunately, medications only treat the symptoms and usually do nothing to address the underlying causes. The good news is that cutting-edge science and nutrition have come together to create a truly monumental and natural breakthrough for diabetics!" As you can see, the website is hawking the same product for feline diabetes as it was to people with diabetes in 2005, when the FDA Warning Letter was written. *FDA pdf-Page 1: "The therapeutic claims on your web site establish that the products are drugs because they are intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevension of disease. The marketing of these products violates the Act". (Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act) So you see that according to US law, anything claiming to do these sorts of things, no matter what disease and what species, is considered a drug. *FDA pdf-Page 2: "Your website contains disease claims in the form of testimonials, including:" All three of the "Alternative Treatment" websites linked here do the same. "In addition, the name of your product suggests that it is intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevension of diabetes, a disease." "In addition, the name of your product suggests that it is intended for use in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevension of neuropathy, a disease." The names of "Alternative Treatments" #1 & #3 linked here do the same; you see the admission at "Alternative Treatment" #2's website that their product name had to be changed because of FDA. "Alternative Treatment" #2 did receive a warning letter August 16, 2005-Pages 1 & 2 very much like this one, prompting a change in the name--nothing changed about the treatment not helping diabetes. *FDA pdf-Page 3: "Furthermore, your products are not generally recognized as being safe and effective for the above referenced conditions and therefore, the products are also "new drugs" under section 201(p) of the Act (Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act-21 U. S. C. 321(p)). New drugs may not be legally marketed in the US without prior approval from FDA as described in section 505(a)of the Act (Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act-21 U. S. C. 355(a)). FDA approves a new drug on the basis of scientific data submitted by a drug sponsor to demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective." "Alternative Treatment #4" vs "Alternative Treatment #3" and FDA Warning Letter-9/27/05 *"Alternative Treatment #4" This is aimed at canine diabetes, from the same huckster who brought you "Alternative Treatment" #3and was the recipient of FDA Warning Letter September 27, 2005 for the company's similar claims to people with diabetes. Let's Compare "Alternative Treatment #4" with "Alternative Treatment #3" and the FDA warning Letter from 2005: *"Alternative Treatment #4" *"Studies show a 31.9% drop in blood sugar levels." *"Reduce or Eliminate the Need for Injections or Drugs" (This shows you just how much the company knows about canine diabetes.) *"Diabetes in your dog is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it gets worse." *"Unfortunately, medications only treat the symptoms and usually do nothing to address the underlying causes. The good news is that cutting-edge science and nutrition have come together to create a truly monumental and natural breakthrough for dogs with diabetes." *"Alternative Treatment #3" website *"Studies show a 31.9% drop in blood sugar levels." *"Lower Blood Glucose Levels" *"Less Dependency on Medications" *"Feline diabetes is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it simply gets worse." *"Unfortunately, medications only treat the symptoms and usually do nothing to address the underlying causes. The good news is that cutting-edge science and nutrition have come together to create a truly monumental and natural breakthrough for cats with diabetes!" *FDA Warning Letter-Page 1 *"an average drop of blood glucose levels of 31.9%" *"Lower Blood Glucose Levels" *"Less Dependency on Medications" *"Diabetes is a disease that if you don't take effective action against, it simply gets worse." *"Unfortunately, medications only treat the symptoms and usually do nothing to address the underlying causes. The good news is that cutting-edge science and nutrition have come together to create a truly monumental and natural breakthrough for diabetics!" "Clinical Trials" Page for "Alternative Treatment #4" "Clinical Trials" Page for "Alternative Treatment #3" The links on both pages are identical; the only difference is in their URLs, where one is geared to take advantage of those treating feline diabetes and the other is geared to take advantage of those treating canine diabetes. The product being sold here, for people FDA Warning Letter-Page 1, for cats "Alternative Treatment #3" website, and for dogs "Clinical Trials" Page for "Alternative Treatment #4" is the same as well--for all three. As the FDA Warning Letter points out, the product was not proven to be safe and effective in treating diabetes--not in people--not in cats--and not in dogs. What you can do to help This is another "double pronged" scam where these pitches are made for both people and pets with diabetes. You can help to stop things like this for only a few moments of your time: *US-FDA Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet As you see, there's an online form and you do NOT need to provide your name or contact information unless you want a reply. Reports can also be made via plain e-mail, using webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov. Report anything like this you see, and keep reporting it until something is done about the website; the more reports received on a particular website, the faster something will be done about it. Thomas TusserThomas Tusser-English Farmer & Writer-1524-1580once said that a fool and his money are soon parted; it's bad enough when this happens to someone, but absolutely without conscience when they also lose health or life itself--theirs or that of a loved one. If you are reading this, you are smarter than the con artists! Update FTC and FDA Act Against Internet Vendors of Fraudulent Diabetes Cures and Treatments-October 19, 2006 List of Firms Receiving Warning Letters for Marketing Unproven Dietary Supplements for Diabetes with Illegal Drug Claims-US-FDA-October 19, 2006 US-FDA Warning Letter October 19, 2006 The purveyor of "Alternative Treatment #3", "Alternative Treatment #4" and recipient of the FDA Warning Letter linked above, dated September 27, 2005, gets yet another one. Further Reading US-FDA-Regulations on Statements Made for Dietary Supplements Concerning the Effect of the Product on the Structure or Function of the Body FDA Warning Letter June 26, 2006-"Alternative Treatment" FDA Warning Letter June 12, 2006-"Alternative Treatment" FDA Warning Letter October 6, 2005-"Alternative Treatment" References Category:TreatmentsCategory:TipsCategory:Introduction